My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I had high hopes for this book but unfortunately it didn’t quite live up to them. As a YA dystopian, road trip type book it should have been perfect for me but despite being well written I felt like there just wasn’t anything new or original. It’s possible I just picked this up at the wrong point in time but it left me feeling a little bit “been there, read that”.

It is a first novel from this author and there is potential, it’s just not quite living up to it yet.

Synopsis (Goodreads)

ONE FOR SORROW, TWO MEANS DEATH.

In the Barrenlands of Wrath, no one dies of old age. Kyle is used to its harsh laws, but the cold-blooded separation of identical twins and execution of the ‘evil twists’ at the Annual Peace Fair shocks him.

When Kyle himself is betrayed, he flees for his life with the reluctant help of Sky, a rebel pilot with a hidden agenda. As the hunt intensifies, Kyle soon realises that he is no ordinary runaway, although he has no idea why. Fighting to learn the hideous truth, their reluctant, conflicted partnership will either save them – or kill them.

Thoughts

At the start it reminded me quite a lot of the Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness as there are quite a few similarities in storyline. The main character Kyle is a teenage boy, growing up in a brutal land of settlers who feels like he doesn’t quite fit in. There is the fanatical religious belief, in this case that in every set of twins one is evil and must be executed, and secrets around Kyle’s past that make him unique. It even has Kyle going on the run and forced to team up with a girl his own age (Sky).

Where it differs though is that this is a much bigger book in terms of scale. The first book in Chaos Walking focused very much on one slow journey and the relationship that developed between the two main characters. This book also has a journey and a developing relationship at its core however it feels much wider and I’m not sure this is to its benefit as there is a heck of a lot going on.

It is the first book in a series so there is a lot of world building, possibly too much. The characters seem to travel around the whole planet and go from a fair in a mining town to barren wastelands, to a swamp, to a shanty town and a military base. As it is an alien land there are different plants, dangerous wildlife and advanced technology. That combined with a lot of characters, different factions and new terms and language make it a bit difficult to keep track of everything.

The writing is pretty good but I think it lacks a bit in terms of description, something which I very rarely say (I’m not a big fan of long winded descriptions of things). I found it difficult to picture the world and at times struggled to work out what certain things actually were (is it a plant? is it an animal?). I get the feeling that the author may have sacrificed some of the detail to keep up the fast paced action.

The story is definitely fast paced and a lot does happen in it but for me possibly too much. I think I would have preferred a slightly slower story with a bit more detail and character development.

The story is told from the perspective of Kyle who I have to admit I didn’t particularly like. Kyle was always playing the victim, “why is this happening to me”, “I don’t want this” etc and I think spent most of the story moaning. When he wasn’t moaning he was doing the most ridiculously stupid things ever. He does have some skills and knowledge but seems to lack common sense and a survival instinct. If anyone deserved what happened to them it was him (and personally I thought he got off quite lightly considering the fate of some of the other characters).

Unfortunately my feelings toward the female lead Sky weren’t much better. She is the tough girl, who has to put up with Kyle and spends most of her time teaching him about the world and keeping him alive. I do like a tough girl but she was maybe a little bit too unsympathetic and rude. She is passionate but has a bit of a tendency to over react which is a little annoying.

While there are a lot of other characters within the book I felt like they didn’t get enough development. They were introduced and then seemed to quickly disappear never to be heard from again. One particular, and very important, character towards the end literally just got a couple of pages. I think this is part of the reason that I couldn’t really connect with the story. I didn’t like the main characters and no one else was given enough time for me to get to know them.

This is the first in a series so I’m sure there will be a lot more development in subsequent books but I’m not sure I will be rushing out to get them. There just wasn’t enough in this book that was original and engaging to make me desperate to read on and find out what happens next. It’s too similar to a number of other books and is just suffering in comparison, or at least it is for me.

It’s not a bad book. In fact as a debut novel it’s a pretty good effort, I think I’ve just read too many great books recently that do it better.

I received a copy of this free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Flawed by Cecelia Ahern

March 28, 2016 Ali@abookishlife5 Comments

Flawed by Cecelia Ahern

My rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars

Flawed? Maybe a little, but it’s still a bloomin good read.

I’ve been a big fan of Cecelia Ahern for years and would count some of her previous books (PS I Love You & How to Fall in Love) among my all time favorites. Flawed however marks her first venture into the YA dystopian genre and I have to say that while I was so excited to read it I was also a little bit nervous. A lot of the time authors struggle when they venture into new territory but this is most definitely not the case here.

The YA dystopia market is pretty cluttered at the moment, with a new must read series out more or less every week (I have to say it’s one of my favorite genres) but in this case the author has managed to create a book that really stands out from the rest.

It has a fascinating and believable premise, is very well written (although I wouldn’t expect anything less) and had me gripped throughout. I’d meant to read it over the course of a week but ended up ditching all of my other commitments and plans to finish it within 2 days (would have been quicker but I do really need to go to work).

Synopsis

The story was actually somewhat different from what I was expecting from the blurb. I thought it was going to be about being externally flawless and genetic engineering but it goes a lot deeper than that. It’s set in a country where due to the corrupt and unethical activities of bankers and politicians (sound familiar) the world went into financial crisis resulting in civic unrest.

Fearful of a recurrence, the country where main character Celestine lives came up with the solution of introducing a new form of society and a new court system (the Guild). The purpose of the Guild is to identify those who are flawed, and by that they mean those who are morally or ethically flawed. There remains a separate legal system for criminal offences so this judges purely on ethics with punishment for things such as committing adultery, taking too many risks at work or making bad decisions.

If you’re found to be flawed, you’re branded with a letter F (reminiscent of the Scarlet Letter) which you must display at all times. Those with the brand are treated as second class citizens, shunned by the rest of society, subject to curfews, career limitations and innumerable other rules.

17 year old Celestine has lived her whole life by the rules. She’s the perfect daughter, perfect student, with the perfect boyfriend and wants nothing more than to fit in. However when a neighbor and family friend is suddenly apprehended and found to be flawed Celestine starts to wonder about the fairness of the system. This leads to a mistake on her journey to school which could lead to her being found flawed.

Thoughts

I thought the authors idea of the whole flawed justice system was very clever. There are a lot of references to current day events (the financial crisis, increased regulation and even reality TV) but there are also historical references such as the segregation that took place in the apartheid system. If I didn’t believe politicians were too corrupt and have too much power to prevent it I could actually see it happening. This whole idea was probably the most fascinating part of the book for me. The idea that certain people could judge what was morally acceptable and what was not was always going to be open to manipulation and corruption and that is what happens here.

It’s interesting to watch Celestine in particular going from the poster child and biggest supporter of the system to beginning to question it and inadvertently falling foul of it. For this reason she starts the book as an irritating goody two shoes but develops and grows over the course of the story into a much more likeable character. I did think she read a little bit young for her age (she seemed more 14 than 17) and was ridiculously naive and gullible at times but despite me regularly screaming at her not to be so stupid (in my head rather than out loud) I somehow ended up supporting her. Yes she over reacts and doesn’t always give people a chance to explain but she’s a teenager so what can you say 🙂

There’s quite a diverse mix of other characters in the book, the majority of which were also fascinating to read. Particular highlights were Pia Wang (a journalist), her mother (a supermodel) and her grandfather whose motives aren’t always too easy to judge. The weakest character in my opinion was actually her boyfriend Art. He’s the head Guild Judge’s son and the boy next door (actually across the street) but I found him a little bit on the dull side and couldn’t quite see the attraction. There is a little bit of the insta love thing going on but it doesn’t really get bogged down in the whole romance side when there are much bigger things going on.

The story itself is pretty fast paced and I found it completely addictive reading. I should add a warning that there are a few fairly graphic, violent and abusive scenes that some might find a bit much but I absolutely loved them (not sure what that says about me). I was on the edge of my seat thinking “no, that can’t possibly happen”. If I was someone who bites their nails I probably wouldn’t have any left.

Overall, while it does have it’s flaws, they are few and and pretty minor. I would definitely recommend giving it a try. Personally I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy. Flawed is out now.

Book Review: Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben

March 27, 2016March 26, 2016 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Not too sure what to think about this book after THAT ending. I was fully prepared to give it three stars as a kind of average thriller but now I’m not so sure. I can’t decide if I loved the ending or hated it but it was definitely unexpected and the author certainly fooled me at least once.

It’s worth a read for that alone.

Synopsis

The story starts with former special ops pilot Maya and her 2 year old daughter at the funeral of her husband Joe. Joe was murdered two weeks ago in front of Maya. This is the second tragedy in Maya’s life as her sister was also killed around 4 months ago. Feeling a little bit vulnerable she agrees to install a nanny cam in her home to keep an eye on her daughter while she works. A few days later though she sees something she really doesn’t expect, her daughter sitting on the lap of her husband. It’s not possible or is it? She knows if she tells anyone they’ll think she’s crazy so she starts her own investigation.

Thoughts

I’ve read a few Harlan Coben books in the past (my Dad is a big fan) and found them to be pretty enjoyable although not necessarily stand out reads. When I saw the title and read the blurb for this one though I couldn’t wait to get me hands on it.

Pretty much from the start of this story I wasn’t too sure what to think about it and this feeling continued throughout. It’s an interesting idea, a supposedly dead man shows up on a nanny cam, did he fake his death somehow, is someone playing a game with Maya or is she really just crazy? For some reason however it didn’t quite work for me. There were quite a few things that just seemed a bit odd. The very first one being the way Maya is given a nanny cam by her best friend on the day of the funeral. It just seemed strange in terms of timing but also as the nanny had been working for them for a while and had a connection to the family.

The other thing that bothered me was Maya herself. Following a controversial incident from her service she’s somewhat infamous and is suffering from PTSD. She seems to miss being at war and is uncomfortable in regular life, only really relaxing when she’s at the gun range. While I couldn’t relate to her as a character what bothered me was that she seemed unaffected by everything. She doesn’t seem overly fussed about the fact her husband has been murdered and has a slightly strange relationship with her daughter. She wants to protect her but doesn’t seem to want to spend any time with her, preferring to pass her off to someone else whenever she can. A lot of her actions are a little on the odd side (the way she deals with her niece’s soccer coach springs to mind) and her reactions were a bit disturbing.

The other characters did seem like they could be interesting but I didn’t feel like they got enough attention. I would have liked to have seen a lot more of Shane, her former squad mate, as he seemed like an interesting character and his relationship with Maya was fascinating to read.

The story itself is quite twisty and does keep you guessing although at times I felt like the timing was a little bit off with too much time spent on certain aspects and not enough on others. There are a couple of subplots which I didn’t think added much to the story and I kind of skipped over a little. I will say though the author did manage to fool me and when the ending came it was certainly spectacular and somehow very emotional. It almost made up for the rest of the story and it certainly explained a lot.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy.

Book Review: Sleepless in Manhattan by Sarah Morgan

March 26, 2016 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

Sleepless in Manhattan by Sarah Morgan

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I was absolutely stunned to read the back of this book and find that Sarah Morgan has written 75 books. That is certainly impressive. What’s more impressive is that I still enjoy pretty much every one I read. I will admit I haven’t read all 75, probably more half a dozen, but she’s definitely one of my go to authors when I’m looking for a nice and easy romantic read for a lazy afternoon.

This book is no exception. It’s an enjoyable read, with great characters and a believable (at times sizzling) romance.

Synopsis

This story marks the start of a new trilogy set in New York and similar to her last Puffin Island series features three friends and their romantic entanglements. For this book center stage goes to Paige Walker. Paige spent her childhood in and out of hospital and now she’s pretty much all clear she’s determined to live life to the fullest and prove to everyone she can do it on her own.

She’s loving life in Manhattan and knows she’s a dead cert for promotion at work however her plans fall apart when instead she’s laid off. Unable to find another job she decides to go into business for herself but it’s a big risk for both her and those who depend on her.

She’s determined to go it alone but when things are slow to take off it looks like she’ll need some help. Unfortunately Jake Romano, her brothers best friend, seems like her best option but given their past he’s the last person she wants help from.

Thoughts

I think you can probably guess just from the synopsis how it all ends but I have to admit it’s an enjoyable journey. Yes the characters are a little bit stereotyped, yes a lot of it seems unrealistic (they all seem to live in huge apartments, Jake is a millionaire IT whiz), but who cares.

The author writes characters who are likeable and, one of the key things for me, these characters include a number of strong, independent, intelligent women. Almost every character male and female is of course stunningly attractive and there are a lot of troubled histories but you still can’t help rooting for them.

What I always like most about Ms Morgan’s books however is that she has a special talent for creating chemistry between the leads. There are far too many romances that fall flat because of that missing spark. Pretty much every book of hers I’ve read however has been a success on that level and this is no exception. There are some very definite fireworks between Paige and Jake.

The plot is a little bit on the predictable side but the writing is very readable and the pacing is pretty much spot on. I had a few little gripes here and there but nothing too major.

Unfortunately I don’t tend to find this type of book particularly memorable, hence the low-ish score but it was definitely enjoyable at the time.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy.

Book Review: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

March 25, 2016March 25, 2016 Ali@abookishlife5 Comments

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Heartbreaking, beautifully written and absolutely incredible. I loved it from start to finish.

“Stories are the wildest things of all, the monster rumbled. Stories chase and bite and hunt.”

I picked this up around 11pm one night, intending to read a few chapters before bed. Two hours later my eyelids were starting to droop but there was no way I was going to stop reading. It pulled me into the story completely and just wouldn’t let go. As soon as I finished I wanted to flip to the beginning and start again.

Synopsis (from GoodReads)

The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.

But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting. He’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming…

This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

It wants the truth.

My Thoughts

I’ve previously read the Chaos Walking trilogy and absolutely loved it but a lot of people had told me that A Monster Calls was by far Patrick Ness’s best work to date. I had my doubts, as I’m always suspicious of books with a lot of hype around them, but I have to say the hype is well deserved.

I managed to get a physical copy from the library and it’s definitely worth it if you can get your hands on one. Just holding it and flicking through the pages had me intrigued. The illustrations are beautiful and somehow add something to the story. They make it feel more like a fairytale which, in many ways, it is.

The story itself is captivating. While it is fantastical, it does give a very real and very honest portrayal of a boy whose mother has cancer. I think most people’s life has been touched by cancer or some other kind of long term illness so it’s easy to relate to the emotions that Conor experiences. There were many instances when I was reading with tears running down my face. He’s very much on his own, his father has moved overseas, he doesn’t get on with his Grandmother, his friends at school avoid him and his teachers pity him. To make matters worse he’s having nightmares and is afraid to sleep.

And then late one night the monster comes. I won’t go into the purpose of the monster to the story as it would give away too much but I will say that it was not at all what I expected and yet in many ways it was.

While it is a story about loss, guilt and letting go it is strangely uplifting. There is a very strong message of hope and love that runs through the story. While it did make me cry I also found myself regularly smiling and by the end felt somehow more positive about life. If nothing else it definitely makes you appreciative of what you have.

Patrick Ness’s writing is, as always, beautiful. He has this incredible ability to make the most fantastic and unbelievable things somehow very real and completely believable. I absolutely love how he describes things (and I’m not a fan of a lot of description) but I especially loved the dialogue. Some of the conversations between Conor and the monster are absolute genius.

It’s not a long book and it’s a YA book so it’s an easy read but somehow it feels packed full. I think it’s probably one of those books I’ll re read as I suspect there are things I missed and I want to know them all. It’s definitely a book I’d recommend to everyone.

I have to admit I’m also pretty excited about the film which is due for release this year.

Book Review: How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran

March 15, 2016March 15, 2016 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had absolutely no idea what to expect from this book as while I’d heard of it I didn’t have a very clear idea what it was actually about. It’s safe to say the other reviews are fairly mixed. A lot of people love it and a lot of people complain that it’s a repeat of the authors previous book.

What I found though was a funny, sad and brutally honest story about growing up and working out who you want to be and what you want to do with your life. It’s probably not for the easily offended as there is a lot of swearing and sexual content (not the bodice ripping romance sort but the fumbling experimentation of a teenage girl) but I really loved it.

Synopsis (from GoodReads)

What do you do in your teenage years when you realize what your parents taught you wasn’t enough? You must go out and find books and poetry and pop songs and bad heroes—and build yourself.

It’s 1990. Johanna Morrigan, fourteen, has shamed herself so badly on local TV that she decides that there’s no point in being Johanna anymore and reinvents herself as Dolly Wilde—fast-talking, hard-drinking Gothic hero and full-time Lady Sex Adventurer. She will save her poverty-stricken Bohemian family by becoming a writer—like Jo in Little Women, or the Bröntes—but without the dying young bit.

By sixteen, she’s smoking cigarettes, getting drunk and working for a music paper. She’s writing pornographic letters to rock-stars, having all the kinds of sex with all kinds of men, and eviscerating bands in reviews of 600 words or less.

But what happens when Johanna realizes she’s built Dolly with a fatal flaw? Is a box full of records, a wall full of posters, and a head full of paperbacks, enough to build a girl after all?

Imagine The Bell Jar written by Rizzo from Grease. How to Build a Girl is a funny, poignant, and heartbreakingly evocative story of self-discovery and invention, as only Caitlin Moran could tell it.

Thoughts

I started reading it after one of those days (weeks, months) at work where you’re completely exhausted, feeling terrible and permanently on the brink of tears. I came home early (my boss insisted, that’s how bad I looked) climbed straight into bed and picked up this book which was lying beside it. After just a few pages I was giggling away and feeling so much brighter.

It probably reminded me a little bit of Adrian Mole’s Diary as, while it’s not actually in diary form (or about a boy…hmm, I’m starting to question the comparison), it’s a story about growing up, trying to fit in and finding love. It starts in the early 90’s in Wolverhampton and follows 14 year old Johanna Morrigan. Her parents are on the dole, her father’s an alcoholic wanna be musician and her mother has post natal depression after the latest birth (there are five children).

When Johanna accidentally says something to the wrong person she worries their benefits will be cut and they’ll have no money so she sets out to find a way to save them. Having a love of books and the library, she decides the only solution is to become a writer. When her initial attempts backfire spectacularly she comes to the conclusion she has to completely re invent herself. What follows is Johanna’s journey to discover who she is and who she wants to be.

A lot of it is very funny, some of her attempts to fit in are extremely cringe worthy and there are some moments that are a little bit heart breaking. I could definitely relate to a lot of the emotions if not necessarily Johanna’s actions. I worked out at some point that I’m almost the same age but I have to say that compared to her I’ve led a very sheltered life.

I thought Johanna was a very likeable character, a tiny bit annoying at times and not without flaws but I think most people are like that. Despite the outrageousness of some of her actions she always felt quite real and believable. I think I felt a little bit sorry for her most of the time as she seemed to shoulder a lot of the responsibility for her family and was always a bit of an outsider despite her best efforts to fit in.

I am obviously a romantic at heart as I have to admit my favourite parts involved a certain musician that she meets on her journey. She has the most incredible crush on him and while these are a lot of the most cringe inducing moments they are also, in some kind of weird, twisted way the sweetest.

There were a couple of points where I thought the pacing was a little off and too much time was spent on certain elements but other than that I thought the writing was pretty much spot on. I have seen some reviews criticising it for being very similar to some of her other books but haven’t read anything else so I can’t really comment. If you do want an idea of the sense of humour however you could try watching Raised by Wolves (link to IMDB) which she co writes with her sister. If you like it you’ll probably like this.

Overall, definitely a book I would recommend although possibly not one for the kids or the easily offended 🙂

Book Review: Golden Son by Pierce Brown

March 12, 2016March 11, 2016 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

So it’s safe to say I was not a big fan of Red Rising, the first book in this trilogy. I think I possibly described it as a rip off of The Hunger Games and Harry Potter (sorry Pierce Brown). It did have it’s moments but I just didn’t think it lived up to all of the hype that surrounded it. As a result it was probably at least a year before I talked myself into reading Golden Son and giving the trilogy another shot. I’m so glad I did.

Synopsis (from GoodReads)

With shades of The Hunger Games, Ender’s Game, and Game of Thrones, debut author Pierce Brown’s genre-defying epic Red Rising hit the ground running and wasted no time becoming a sensation.

Golden Son continues the stunning saga of Darrow, a rebel forged by tragedy, battling to lead his oppressed people to freedom from the overlords of a brutal elitist future built on lies. Now fully embedded among the Gold ruling class, Darrow continues his work to bring down Society from within.

A life-or-death tale of vengeance with an unforgettable hero at its heart, Golden Son guarantees Pierce Brown’s continuing status as one of fiction’s most exciting new voices.

Thoughts

For me Golden Son is a vast improvement on Red Rising. It’s absolutely crammed full of action from the very first page and the writing is incredible. I will admit to struggling a little at the start but I think that was mostly due to waiting so long to read it. I’d forgotten a lot of what happened in the first book so despite the helpful character list at the start was a little bit lost in terms of who was who and what their relationship to each other was.

Once I got around a third of the way through however, and most of the characters from the first book were reunited, I was hooked. While the first book is a lot like the Hunger Games this one feels a lot more like Game of Thrones (which I’ve watched rather than read). Different families and factions are competing to rule and are completely ruthless in their attempts to seize power. Alliances are formed and broken, enemies are forced to work together and anyone could be stabbed in the back at any opportunity.

Main character Darrow, a Red masquerading as a Gold is trying to navigate his way through it all. He’s got to protect his secret but somehow manoeuvre himself into a position where he can destabilise society and create a civil war.

I have to admit I liked him a lot more in this book. He definitely develops a lot and starts to take responsibility for his destiny. This is the book where he learns he’ll need to make sacrifices and betray those he cares about to reach his ultimate goal. It’s fascinating to read him questioning himself and his decisions but pressing ahead and taking action even if it leads to guilt and the loss of friends.

My favourite character however shall forever remain Darrow’s BFF Sevro. He’s rude, violent and bent on destruction but is so loyal to his friends and so funny I just want to adopt him.

There are a lot of twists and turns in the story and more than a few shocks. There are also a lot of very violent scenes and all out war at one point leading to a lot of loss but those parts are probably my favourites. The action is well written and easy to follow despite a lot going on so you almost feel like you’re in among it all.

The one thing I struggle with, and this is a me thing, is some of the descriptions of places. I think I’m missing whatever it is you need to convert words on a page to pictures in my head of other planets, spaceships and technology. This results in me kind of skimming those bits which unfortunately there are quite a few of. I can appreciate the language and the world building, it’s incredible, I just can’t visualise it. I’m sure lovers of language, of which I know a few, will fare a lot better.

Overall therefore I’d definitely recommend this book even if like me you weren’t completely enamoured with Red Rising. The ending alone makes it worth it. Although be warned you will have to read the final book in the series too.

Book Review: Gone Astray by Michelle Davies

March 11, 2016March 11, 2016 Ali@abookishlife1 Comment

Gone Astray by Michelle Davies

My rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars

This book was not exactly what I was expecting from the blurb but it is an enjoyable thriller that once I started I couldn’t stop reading.

It’s not perfect but for a debut novel it’s pretty good and I loved the use of a police family liaison officer as one of the main characters. It definitely adds a unique perspective and I hope there will be more in this series.

Synopsis

The story starts with Lesley coming home from the shops to find the alarm is off and the house empty. She thinks her 15 year old daughter Rosie is out in the garden studying but when she goes looking for her she’s not there. Starting to panic she searches the house before trying to call her on her mobile. When she finds the phone in the garden beside a dark substance she knows something has happened to Rosie and the police are called in to investigate. Has she run away, has she hurt herself and become confused or has someone taken her and why?

Lesley and husband Mack are recent lottery winners but while Mack and Rosie seem to be enjoying the money (new house, designer clothes, the latest gadgets) Lesley is uncomfortable about it and the family relationships are strained. They went public with their win so everyone knows them and almost everyone seems to want something from them. They’ve had to leave most of their old friends behind but don’t quite fit in with the wealthy either. Could the win be something to do with Rosie’s disappearance?

Thoughts

The story is told from three different perspectives, Lesley the mother, Maggie a family liaison officer with the police and a darker character (possibly the culprit) who seems to have a grudge against the family. Having these three different perspectives makes for a fascinating read as it lets you into the heads of victim, investigator and suspect. I particularly liked the authors use of a family liaison officer (FLO) rather than a regular detective. FLO’s don’t typically feature much in detective stories other than being called in to sit with the family while the real detectives go off and solve the crime. This book showed just how important and difficult their job is while also giving an outside perspective on the family, friends and their relationships.

Maggie herself was an interesting and likeable character. She clearly loves her job and is very dedicated to it but sometimes goes a bit beyond her remit, something she was previously suspended for. She’s caught in the difficult position of supporting the family and keeping them informed but also interviewing them and noting everything they say and do as part of the investigation. It’s a bit of a juggling act but she seems to be very skilled at it and has great instincts. What I found most fascinating about Maggie though was her relationship with lead detective Will Umpire. He’s the reason for her previous suspension but requested her on the case. Pretty much every interaction between them is awkward and a bit uncomfortable which is great to read.

As well as her difficult job she also doesn’t have the easiest personal life. She’s single but spends most of her time supporting her sister Lou, who is a single mum of three. Lou could probably be described as fairly demanding, ungrateful and unsympathetic to Maggie’s job but Maggie has a secret and that secret means she feels indebted to Lou.

Rosie’s parents, Lesley and Mack were not my favourite characters but they did come across as quite realistic and their reactions to everything that happens seem believable. Their relationship is fairly strained at times and both react very differently to the disappearance. I’m not a parent so I can’t imagine how I would feel but I could imagine the emotions they were experiencing.

The character I wasn’t so sure about was mystery man and main suspect. It’s maybe just that I’m not quite unstable enough to relate (thank goodness) but I’m not sure I totally believed him as a character. It’s difficult to say a lot about it without giving away spoilers but I just thought some of his behaviour and thoughts were a little over the top and unconvincing.

The pacing of the story is pretty much bang on and I found it quite addictive reading (I finished it in a day). There are a couple of twists but who did it is probably less the point than the investigation and the impact on the family. I had a couple of niggles about dialogue in places but overall I’d rate it a great debut novel.

I will be looking forward to more in the series as I think it has the potential to be really great. As an aside, in the unlikely event of me winning the lottery, I will not be going public.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy. It will be released in the UK on the 24th March and you can find it on Amazon here.

Book Review: Northwoods by Bill Schweigart

March 1, 2016February 29, 2016 Ali@abookishlife2 Comments

Northwoods by Bill Schweigart

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I first came across Bill Schweigart a few months ago when I spotted the Beast of Barcroft on NetGalley and couldn’t resist. That was the book that restored my love of horror and that love continues in Northwoods, the second in the series. Bill Schweigart really knows how to write an exciting and surprising narrative and this book takes horror to a whole new level.

Synopsis (Goodreads)

Some borders should never be crossed. From the author of The Beast of Barcroft comes a waking nightmare of a horror novel that’s sure to thrill readers of Stephen King and Bentley Little.

Ex–Delta Force Davis Holland, now an agent for the Customs and Border Protection, has seen it all. But nothing in his experience has prepared him for what he and the local sheriff find one freezing night in the Minnesota woods.

Investigating reports of an illegal border crossing, the two men stumble across a blood-drenched scene of mass murder, barely escaping with their lives . . . and a single clue to the mayhem: a small wooden chest placed at the heart of the massacre. Something deadly has entered Holland’s territory, crossing the border from nightmare into reality.

When news of the atrocity reaches wealthy cryptozoologist Richard Severance, he sends a three-person team north to investigate. Not long ago, the members of that team—Ben McKelvie, Lindsay Clark, and Alex Standingcloud—were nearly killed by a vengeful shapeshifter. Now they are walking wounded, haunted by gruesome memories that make normal life impossible. But there is nothing normal about the horror that awaits in the Northwoods.

Thoughts

One of the things I love most about Bill Schweigart is that for me he is a bit of an unknown quantity. Having read only one of his books I don’t have a feel yet for how far he’ll go or what he will do. No character is safe and pretty much anything can and will happen.

Northwoods starts in a similar way to the previous book in the series The Beast of Barcroft with the introduction of a new character, Davis Holland, and something mysterious lurking in the woods.

However while the Best of Barcroft was more of a creature feature with a lot of mystery over what if anything is in the woods it’s clear from the start that this time it’s something from myth and legend. No real creature could be responsible for the level of carnage, so it’s more of a case of working out what creature is responsible and how to stop it.

There are a lot of local legends in the area and tales of missing persons going back years. A lot of these legends and stories are set out in this story and that makes for some fascinating reading. I have no idea if any of these stories are based on real legends but I imagine that they are.

While new character Davis Holland brings a different dimension to the team with his military experience I have to admit I still really love returning characters Ben and Lindsay. Ben is the everyman character with no special skills or knowledge who is thrown into exceptional circumstances. He’s probably more lucky a lot of the time than skilled and seems to have a natural talent for saying the wrong thing which brings a lot of humour to the story.

He also has the most incredible crush on Lindsay which considering he’s the wrong sex to be her type makes for an interesting dynamic between the two. Lindsay is definitely the more knowledgeable and practical of the two so has the upper hand as far as the relationship goes. They flirt a bit, argue a lot, he’s overprotective and she get’s frustrated with him but they do depend on each other. Their relationship changes and develops over the course of this book and it comes under threat a few times which was kind of worrying as they are definitely one of my favourite partnerships.

This story is a lot bigger and a lot more gruesome and violent than the Beast of Barcroft. The author has definitely stepped it up in terms of carnage and while I prefer slightly subtler horror story rather than a lot of blood and gore there are still some very creepy moments. What makes it even better is the unpredictability. No character is safe in this series and anyone could be lost at the most unexpected moment. There was one moment in particular which came out of nowhere and left me completely stunned. One of those “oh my god, he can’t do that can he?” type moments.

For the most part the pacing is spot on and while there are a couple of bits which are a little slow, the author does a fantastic job of building up the tension to a truly immense conclusion.

It’s not a perfect book but I would definitely rate Bill Schweigart as one of my favourite horror authors at the moment. I’m looking forward to more in the series to see where it goes next.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

February 29, 2016 Ali@abookishlife5 Comments

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So this was my second attempt at a Colleen Hoover book and I have to say I’m still not convinced. I know a lot of people really love her books but I’m just not sure they are for me.

I read Hopeless a month or so ago and while I loved the first half I felt like it went a bit wrong for me around the middle and didn’t really come back. This book left me with similar feelings. I loved the start (with the odd exception) but again lost it around the halfway point.

Synopsis

The story follows Tate, a nurse and student who goes to stay with her brother Corbin until she finds her own place. On moving in day however she finds a man passed out drunk outside the door to the apartment. She soon finds out this is neighbour, pilot and friend of her brother Miles Archer. Miles is clearly trouble and troubled but Tate almost instantly feels an attraction for him.

Miles warns her to stay away from him, that he’s not looking for a relationship but they both agree to a casual affair. The only problem with this is that Tate wants more, she’s falling in love with him, but Miles will do anything to avoid love.

Thoughts

The story is told from the point of view of Tate in the present day and Miles from a point six years previously and the chapters more or less alternate between the two. Tate’s chapters cover her feelings and their relationship (or lack thereof) and Miles’ chapters are flashbacks to the events that led to him being the way he is. As I didn’t particularly like Tate I have to admit that I much preferred the Miles background plot although I was a little frustrated at how long it was dragged out for. I just really wanted to know what had happened but I suppose if it wasn’t dragged out there wouldn’t have been much of a book.

The Miles from 6 years ago was just the sweetest, most lovely guy in the world. I loved how he knew from the second of meeting a girl that they would end up together. I also loved how he was determined to stick by her no matter what. It was such a contrast to the present day where he was completely shut down and almost absent a lot of the time.

While I felt sorry for Miles, I found Tate annoying a lot of the time. She claims to be an independent, determined woman but ends up in this psychologically damaging relationship with a clearly troubled guy. I know he was attractive but there is no way it was worth all of the angst, worry and tears. She spent pretty much the whole book going on about how much she loved him, how she couldn’t deal with how he treated her, walking away from him and then going back to him. The whole thing was completely frustrating and never ending. It went on for far too long for my liking.

It is a well written book and I can understand why so many people are fans of Colleen Hoover. She does have this incredible ability to suck you into someone’s mind and emotions. I have to say there aren’t a lot of fun or upbeat moments in this book but there were a few occasions where I was in tears.

Unfortunately though I think I’ve just lost my tolerance for angsty, never ending drama type relationships and this probably wasn’t helped by the fact that I didn’t feel like there was much spark between Miles and Tate. The highlight of their relationship for me was when he was passed out drunk and she didn’t know how to deal with him. As soon as he sobered up it all went downhill. I felt like at times the relationship bordered on abusive which I don’t think is ever really acceptable no matter how troubled someone is. The ending when it comes is fairly predictable but too fast considering how long the rest of the story was dragged out.

I’m sure however a lot of this is just me and overall, while I didn’t particularly like it, I probably would recommend to readers who like stories about relationships and trying to get over a past trauma. Personally I think I’ll leave it a while before I attempt another Colleen Hoover book.